Six months into the year, Shriya Pilgaonkar has already featured in two popular web series. After starting 2023 with Taaza Khabar, the actor recently reprised her role in the second season of Crackdown. A web series being renewed for a second edition is a sign of success, but it can be tricky for actors.

“The second season can’t be more of the same,” states Pilgaonkar. “In Crackdown 2, I did more [demanding] action sequences, and there was a strong emotional graph.”

Last year, Pilgaonkar was one of the most successful actors in digital entertainment, grabbing eyeballs with Guilty Minds and The Broken News. But there is a flipside to it. “I have noticed that because I have done more work in digital entertainment, people have started labelling me an OTT actor. I don’t know what it means. An actor is an actor across mediums. The industry is quick to label you.”

The actor, who forayed into Bollywood with Fan (2016), wishes to maintain a balance between movies and web series. “I want to work with certain filmmakers. I want to try to do more films. I’d love to do a good web series, but I also want to see myself on the big screen.”

Foraying into production is the next step. The decision stems from her hunger as an actor. “Sometimes, as an actor, when [the kind of stories] you want aren’t coming to you, it’s a good time to make something of your own. I am trying to actively build [projects] for myself.”

Injuries are a given when shooting for any action-packed project, but Freddy Daruwala didn’t expect the situation to get out of hand as he canned a crucial stunt for the second season of Crackdown on Jio Cinema. The actor had to do pull-ups under a bridge while a drone was set to capture his movements.

At sub-zero temperature in Kashmir, a bare-chested Daruwala finished the shot with ease, but by the end of the shoot, his hands were frozen. Before he could be pulled up, the actor fell into the freezing water from a height of 35 feet.

Originally, director Apoorva Lakhia had decided to shoot the sequence in a studio, keeping in mind Daruwala’s safety, but the actor insisted on doing his stunts in real time and on location.

“I should have been more careful. Apoorva informed me about the possibilities of [accidents and wanted to use] a safety harness to execute the scene. But I insisted on doing it on my own,” said the actor, who sustained injuries to his back, legs, and shoulders.

While his injuries were not life-threatening, Lakhia immediately called off the shoot. After a day’s rest, Daruwala resumed the shoot. “Since it wasn’t the last day of the shoot, had I been hurt, the shoot would have stalled. The next day, I faced a lot of difficulties due to severe back injuries,” he said, adding that he regrets his impulsive decision to shoot the scene himself.

“Sometimes, an actor gets carried away in the name of realism. We forget that there are a lot of people associated with a project, and if any unfortunate incident were to happen on the set, the shoot could get hampered. Going ahead, I will ensure that I play it safe so that I don’t hurt myself or others.”

Waluscha De Sousa has been facing the camera for decades as a successful model. But her transition from modelling to acting has not been easy. From making her acting debut with Fan (2016) to her web debut with Crackdown, De Sousa is happy to explore distinct roles as she works towards gaining a foothold in the industry. In a chat with mid-day, she discusses the highs and lows of showbiz, and why she picked up Disney+ Hotstar’s latest series, Escaype Live.

Edited excerpts from the interview.

My acting debut was with Fan [2016]. Despite it coming from a huge production house and featuring a superstar, the audience didn’t accept the film. Post that, the work that came my way didn’t excite me. The roles usually didn’t have anything for me to display as an actor. So, I took a sabbatical. Fortunately, the digital space opened up by then. I made my OTT debut with Crackdown [2020]. I don’t think viewers expected me to play such a role. I took a gamble, and it paid off.

Prior to Crackdown, it was difficult to stay true to who I am. I had my fair share of being told that things are not going to work out for me. But all I needed was an opportunity. I never shied away from auditioning for roles. There were preconceived notions, ‘Oh, she was a model’, ‘She is a gori’ and so on. They never bothered to ask me where I was born and brought up. Sometimes, I walk into a meeting, and they ask me if I can converse in Hindi. Fighting these preconceived notions is exhausting.

100 per cent. The roles were all about being glamorous or someone’s arm candy. I knew what I had to offer as an actor. I have to thank Apoorva Lakhia [director] for taking that chance with me and giving me Garima Kalra [her character in Crackdown], which displayed my potential.

I was aware that casting for the social thriller was going on. Director Siddharth Kumar Tewary called me [for the narration]. It was a new concept, [tackling] a scenario we are all facing in our relationship with social media. My character Gia Bose is someone who calls the shots, and is a woman in a man’s world. I wanted to play someone in charge, which is so unlike me in real life. I am quiet and reserved, but it was nice to call the shots on the set. At one point, my co-stars asked me if I am going to keep ordering them around [even when the cameras aren’t rolling].

I am a private person. I don’t have a social media game, and don’t think much when I’m putting out a post. They are usually related to my work. There are actors who are good at juggling acting and being active on social media. But I want to [demarcate whether] I am an influencer or an actor. I prefer to stay relevant with my work rather than my social media posts.

A lot of apps have an age restriction, but there needs to be a better [distinction than age]. In the past three years, our relationship with social media has intensified. There was nothing else to do besides be online during the lockdown. The unfortunate part is even schools went online. Whether you liked it or not, your child had to have a phone, and laptop. I remember calling my grandmother on Zoom, something she has never done in her life.

Life has not been a walk in the park for Ankur Bhatia, whose left his cushy job in finance for a Bollywood career. His journey in the entertainment world surely had its ups and downs, but that didn’t deter the actor from making his mark. “I did not have formal training in acting, nor had I done theatre. My failures have taught me to become a better actor. But I won’t change anything about my journey,” says Bhatia, who credits his wife for supporting him financially while he experimented with acting.

Post Ram Madhvani’s Aarya, things turned around for Bhatia, who now is enjoying the opportunity to pick and choose his roles. He is convinced that “people have begun to notice my craft”. He says, “It is the correct time for me. Had this happened any sooner, I probably would have made wrong choices. I cherish the position I am in today. It allows me to make the right decisions rather than grabbing any opportunity that comes my way.”

Having wrapped up the shoot of the second instalment of Crackdown that showcases him as Tariq, he says, “The action, thrill and drama in the second season is on another level. I was surprised by what we were filming and the locations — Rajasthan, Kashmir, among others — we picked to shoot at. I have always wanted to be part of an intense actioner, and Crackdown gave me that chance.”

Bhatia is also gearing up to play a wacky character in Ali Abbas Zafar’s Bloody Daddy that also features Shahid Kapoor. While he is not allowed to divulge much, the actor says, “I have always been a fan of Ali Abbas Zafar’s work. It was sheer delight to collaborate with him. The film has been nothing short of a joyride for me.”

Staying within the confines of her home hasn't stopped Shriya Pilgaonkar from having a great year. "The lockdown has been unintentionally productive because I didn't want to do things for the heck of it," says the actor, who has had two major releases this year—Voot Select's Gone Game and Crackdown.

Getting out of her comfort zone, she tried her hand at action with Apoorva Lakhia's Crackdown.

"Divya [her character] has been a physically and emotionally demanding role. You gain expertise in action with practice. I have a lot to learn, but this was a good project to start with."

Pilgaonkar credits gangster-drama Mirzapur for putting her in the limelight. Killed in the first instalment, the actor says fans still shower her with love. "The amount of love that my character Sweety Gupta got is overwhelming at times. It's funny when people still suggest plot twists for my character in the second season. I will miss being part of Mirzapur 2."